CUCURB ITACE AE 



491 



tion of Melothria indica and is apparently correct. As noted 

 by Rumphius, the fresh plant has quite the odor and taste of 

 the ordinary cucumber, Cucumis sativus Linn. 



MELOTHRIA JAVANICA (Miq.) Cogn. in DC. Monog. Phan. 3 (1881) 

 625, ex descr. 

 Karivia javanica Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. 1 1 (1856) 661. 

 Cucumis murinus ruber Rumph. Herb. Amb. 5: 463, t. 171, f. 1. 

 Amboina, Kati-kati, Robinson PL Rumph. Amb. 393, October 28, 1913, in 

 open ravines, altitude about 70 meters, the fruit red, locally known as 

 pepinyo tikos. 



The identity of the specimen with Cucumis murinus rube?' is 

 quite certain, although the petioles are shorter than indicated 

 by Rumphius's figure. Its identification with Melothria javanica 

 has been made from the description alone, as I have seen no 

 authentic specimens of that species; it is, however, reported 

 from Amboina by Cogniaux. Hasskarl, Neue Schliissel (1866) 

 147, suggests that it is Aechmandra blumeana Roem.= Melothria 

 marginata (Blume) Cogn. Just what species is represented is 

 possibly doubtful, but there is no question as to the correctness 

 of the generic identification. 



LUFF A (Tournefort) Linnaeus 



LUFFA ACUTANGULA (Linn.) Roxb. Hort. Beng. (1814) 70, PL Ind. ed. 

 2, 3 (1832) 713. 

 Cucumis acutangulus Linn. Sp. PL (1753) 1011. 

 Petola bengalensis Rumph. Herb. Amb. 5: 408, t. 1U9. 



This species is not represented in our Amboina collection, but 

 is generally cultivated in the Indo-Malayan region and probably 

 still occurs in Amboina. Petola bengalensis was reduced by 

 Linnaeus to Cucumis acutangulus, in Stickman Herb. Amb. 

 (1754) 24, Amoen. Acad. 4 (1759) 132, Sp. PL ed. 2 (1763) 

 1436, and by many subsequent authors it was cited under Luffa 

 acutangula (Linn.) Roxb. Rumphius's figure is excellent. 



LUFFA CYLINDRICA (Linn.) Roem. Syn. 2 (1846) 63. 



Momordica luffa Linn. Sp. PL (1753) 1009. 

 Momordica cylindrica Linn. 1. c. 



Luffa sylvestris Miq. FL Ind. Bat 1 1 (1856) 666 (type!). 

 Luffa petola Ser. in DC. Prodr. 3 (1828) 303 (type!). 

 Petola seu Petola Tschina Rumph. Herb. Amb. 5: 405, t. 11+7. 

 Petola silvestris Rumph. 1. c. 409, t. 150. 



Amboina, Paso, Robinson PL Rumph. Amb. 395, climbing on trees near 

 the beach, locally known as kalabasa utan. 



The specimen cited is the ordinary wild form, which differs 

 from the commonly cultivated form in its somewhat smaller 



